


Tipping Point

by chaoticamanda



Category: Until Dawn (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Unresolved Romantic Tension
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-10-11
Updated: 2015-10-11
Packaged: 2018-04-25 20:15:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,178
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4975006
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/chaoticamanda/pseuds/chaoticamanda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>AU where Ashley and Chris go to the cabin instead.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Tipping Point

“Okay, Chris, I’m gonna need you to go check out the cabin,” Josh straightened, finally finished fiddling with the fireplace. The main lodge was still cold and it had an eerie feel to it, almost as if the events of last year were still echoing inside it’s walls. Even without Matt and Emily, who’d gone off to who knows where, Chris could feel the small string of apprehension connecting them all. As much as it unsettled him, the guest cabin was sure to be much colder and the walk to get there would probably be challenging.

“But why?” Chris drew the last word out, throwing his head back as he whined. He was aware of Ashley and Sam watching them, and he did his best to shove the blush away from his face.

Josh rolled his eyes, “Because you’re the only one who knows how to get there besides me and Sam, especially in this shit called weather, and I need Sam's help with the boiler. Now suck it up and get moving, before I tell Ash about that dream you--”

Chris’s waved his hands over Josh’s face, cutting him off. He glanced back at Ashley to make sure she hadn’t heard anything and sighed, “Alright, fine. If I get hypothermia, it’s on you.”

“Oh, I think you’ll find a way to warm up,” Josh smirked and then louder, he nodded his head at Ashley, “Hey, Ash! Can you help Chris go check out the guest cabin? I don’t trust him to do it himself.”

Ash perked up, glancing at Chris’s back before smiling at Josh, “Sure! Whatever you need.”

Josh laughed and ignored Chris, who was hissing, “No, you fuck, no, why would you--”

Ashley stood, walking over to them, a little frown flitting across her face as she saw Chris’s displeasure. Josh led them over to a little table by the door, handing them flashlights and keys. She thought she saw Josh mouth something like “Bozo,” at Chris, but she wrote it off and headed outside, waiting for Chris to follow. They walked in silence for a few minutes, Ashley biting her lip and Chris trying to think of something to say that didn’t sound incredibly stupid.

Finally Ashley murmured, “I didn’t realize it would be so cold up here,” wrapping her arms around her torso.

Chris glanced at her and grinned, looking down at his four layers, “It’s Canada, Ash.”

She rolled her eyes and swatted his arm, settling back into their own comfortable pace, “I know that. I just...I don’t know, figured I wouldn’t be outside for so long.”

Chris knew from experience that they still had a ways to go, and it was only going to feel worse. He watched her from the corner of his eye, and then began unzipping his top layer. She glanced over at him and stopped, “Chris, what’re you doing? You’ll freeze!”

He rolled his eyes, handing her the green parka, “You need it more than I do. I’ll be fine,” he gestured down to his next layer of clothing, a mixture of coat and sweater. She conceded easily, and he tried to ignore how much he liked seeing her wear his parka. It hung down to her thighs, and her hands were lost in the sleeves as she blew small puffs of air into them. He blinked, looking away before she could catch him staring.

"So...what's this cabin like?" Ashley asked, squinting as if she could see it in the distance.

"Cozy, I guess," he shrugged, the tips of his ears warming.

"Oh," she nodded slowly, puffing out her cheeks, "..and what are we checking out?"

“Just like heating and if everything works, I guess,” he waved a hand dismissively, listening to the crunch of the snow beneath his boots. He could see the little maintenence shack up ahead, the shabby wood looking like its was splintering into the snow.

“Will...we be testing it’s coziness?” Ashley was staring straight ahead, her arms wrapped tight around herself. Chris’s head snapped towards her, his face heating up. Her lower lip was pushed out, resting over the upper. He wondered if her lips were cold.

“Uh…” He wanted to say something smooth. Or funny. Or just anything at all, really, but his words were failing him. “I-- Hm--” He let his words lapse into awkward silence. Ashley pulled the parka tighter around herself. Chris could feel the apprehension sitting in a thick ball in his gut. He’d been liking Ashley for almost two years now, and even though Josh and Sam insisted that he should make a move, even though Ashley was nothing short of warm with him, he found terror in the face of the chance that she could reject him. Not only would she not want to be with him, he’d lose his study partner, his second best friend. He was still having a hard time weighing which was worth more.

Chris was thankful that the tiny shack was upon them and that it gave him an excuse to escape the awkward wall he’d built between himself and Ashley.

The shack would be the place to turn on the generators, and where any other maintenance solutions would most likely be found. He figured that the generators would need a good kick anyway, and he left Ashley at the door to go inspect them. The door itself was creaking and somewhat rotted, and he had to push a little to get it open.

Chris stepped carefully inside, craning his neck to find the large boxes. They were shoved into the back corner, a few cluttered steps away. He flinched when his foot made the floorboards creak, and let out a shriek when something flew into his face. He stumbled backwards, crashing into Ashley. “Chris!”

He was breathing too hard too speak at first, but finally breathed out, “I...there was...a thing.”

Ashley looked toward the shack and then back at Chris, biting her lip. She stepped around him and went through the door. “Ash, wait!”

When he finally scrambled back into the shack, she was standing with a hand over her mouth, staring towards the generators. A giggled escaped through her fingers. Chris sighed, reaching out to snatch the mask that was hanging from the ceiling. “Josh probably put that there. What an ass.”

Ashley only smiled at him, still trying to hold in her laughter. He let a smile of his own flit across his face before stepping forward again, making quick work of the generators. When they were back on track the silence was a little easier-- less awkward. At one point there was a fallen tree trunk blocking the path, and Chris helped Ashley over it, taking her hand when it was his turn to go over. “Are we almost there?” she asked, rubbing the sleeves of his parka together.

“Uh, almost, I think,” He blinked away some snow flakes that had landed on his eyelashes, his hands fisted in his pockets

A soft gurgling sound came from around a particularly high bank of snow. Ashley stopped, reaching out to grab Chris’s arm. Her eyes were wide, and he turned to her with raised eyebrows. She blushed, “I...what was that noise?”

“Probably like a squirrel or something,” he shrugged, hyperaware of her hand. He made to keep moving, but she was still looking doubtfully around the corner. “Hey, look, if it’s a rabid squirrel, I’ll sacrifice myself so you can run.”

Her eyes were wide when she looked up at him, a small smile ghosting across her face. It disarmed him for a moment, his breath stuttering. “Fine.”

She stepped forward first, shifting her hand so that her fingers were clutching the sweater itself. Chris let himself be lead, trying to squash the urge to kiss her. It always happened whenever they were alone together, but it was so hard to ignore the way he felt when they were walking to a secluded cabin alone. He was pulled from his internal fight by Ashley, who screamed, scrambling back toward him. Startled by the noise, he jumped too, catching one of her arms as they retreated and pulling her close. “What? What?” he asked frantically, trying to see if she’s been hurt or where the threat is coming from.

Ashley’s hand had jumped up to cover her mouth, and she murmured shakily, “Oh, God, Chris...there’s a deer or something, oh God..”

He followed her gaze, eyes landing on the corpse of a stag, it’s throat torn to shreds. Blood was hissing against the snow, but the worst part was the way it’s eyes wheeled towards them, and it began to move it’s mouth. The awful gurgling sound it warbled out made Chris’s gut quiver, and he felt the urge to wretch. “Shit...shit..”

“What could even do something like that?” Ashley sounded on the verge of tears, and Chris realized that he was still anchoring her close. He let her arm slip out of his fingers, stepping toward the animal.

“I...a bear, maybe? Wolves? Fuck…” He didn’t want to look at the dying animal anymore, but it would be cruel to just walk on. “We can’t leave it like this...we have to put it out of it’s misery or something…”

Ashley was silent, and Chris closed his eyes, steeling himself. He opened his eyes and searched for a large rock or something else heavy, his stomach rolling the whole time. The animal was still watching them, and Chris felt guilty when he picked up a half the size of a car tire. “Oh, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Ashley whispered, her voice freezing Chris.

He couldn’t do it.

The animal died while he was holding the stone, taking it’s last coarse breath. Chris’s stomach dropped, and the rock plummeted back into the snow. He turned and saw Ashley, both of her hands covering her mouth now. Without a word, her wrapped his arms around her shoulders-- for his comfort as well as hers. After a few silent moments, Ashley murmured, "We should get going."

He felt a new chill as she pulled away, and wished that they were in a different place, and that he wasn't such a coward. Setting his face, he nodded, trudging on. The cabin came into view shortly after that, and Chris sped up to get out of the cold. His glasses were becoming wet and smudged from the snow. Every few minutes he noticed Ashley glancing at him, but he didn't say anything.

The door took a little force to budge open, but thankfully it was not as frozen as the lodge had been. Ever the gentleman, Chris bowed and gestured for Ashley to enter. She rolled her eyes and whacked him lightly on the chest, but they were both grinning. "So...now what?"

The cabin didn't look much different than the last time he was here, but someone had placed candles on some of the end tables and shelves. Chris rolled his eyes and silently cursed Josh, flicking the light switch to see if it worked. At least the detour to the generators had been successful. The orange glow of the lights dimly lit the room, but the cold that had settled in the emptiness had not seeped away. "I'll try and start the fire."

Ashley was standing by the door still, her arms wrapped around herself. He could tell that something was bothering her, even though she had a small smile curving her lips. Chris knelt down, turning his back to her. There was a long lighter and a stack of old newspapers next to the opening of the fireplace, meant to help whoever was staying here. Chris sighed, looking down at his sweater. After a moment of contemplation, he pulled the sweater over his head. It lifted his shirt halfway up his stomach, and he blushed when he saw Ashley's gaze linger on the soft skin. Trying to distract himself, he reached up into the fireplace to open the floo.

“Chris?” Ashley’s voice was soft and nervous and her eyes kept bouncing from him to the wall. He turned from the meager fire he’d managed to begin, sparks catching on some dried pieces of newspaper.

“Yeah?”

“Do…” She seemed to be steeling herself, and he felt the little drips of worry begin in his gut. "Can I ask you a question?"

He rose from the ground, the seriousness in her words  making his heart beat just a little bit faster. "Of course." His eyes dropped to her fingers, which were tightly curled around his parka.

Ashley's cheeks were beginning to heat, and she stared at his chest instead of his face, "Do you...notwantme?"

Chris was stunned. “Wha...?”

Ashley’s face was on fire, and her eyes shot to the ground. “I...nothing.”

“No, Ash,” His heart was pounding now, “What did you say?”

“I…” She glanced at him, her eyes shining and her lip wobbling, “Chris, I can’t...do this a-anymore. I--” she swallowed, taking a deep breath, “I really like you, Chris. And...and I think you like me too sometimes, but--”

She cut off, wrapping her arms around herself and staring at the floor. “If you don’t like me, p-please just tell me now.”

Chris was frozen, staring at her with a crease between his brows, trying to comprehend what she was saying. The only sound between them was the pitiful fire doing it’s best to swallow the paper. He opened his mouth as if to say something, his face hot, but then closed it again. Ashley shuddered, her fists clenched. Finally he coughed out, “You...like me?”

Ashley’s head snapped up, her eyes wide, “I...I mean, wasn’t it obvious?”

Chris floundered before letting out a deep breath, deflating, “I’m such a fucking idiot.” He kicked at the ground, shaking his head. Ashley watched him with a guarded expression, her bottom lip thoroughly chewed on.  “So fucking stupid.”

“...Chris?”

His eyes snapped to hers and he took a few steps closer to her without realizing it, “Ash. Look. I…”

Chris could see her shoulders sag, and he clenched his fists, wishing for just once that he could talk. He needed to tell her, to let her know that he wanted her, god, did he want her. “Chris…” She repeated his name softly, breaking his gaze and doing her best not to start crying, “I-- I get it. I think I should just…”

“No. No,” He cut her off, closing the remaining distance between them. Surprised, she looked up at him with wide eyes. “Ash, I really...really like you, and I’m sorry I’m such and idiot. I...I’ve liked you for like, a really long time, but I was too...too nervous to say anything. But I like you. Yeah,” he finished awkwardly, his cheeks burning and his palms sweating. He realized just how close they were.

Ashley’s smile was radiant, and something in Chris’s chest tightened. “Y-you do?”

“Yeah. I do,” he breathed, a small smile of his own ghosting across his face.

“Oh,” her lips formed a small o, and then she stood on her tiptoes, both hands braced against his chest, “So it’s okay if I do this?”

Ashley pressed her lips to his, and he ducked his head, drawn in by her. The kiss was brief but firm, and she pulled away with heavily lidded eyes. He was a little dazed, his lips tingling. “Definitely okay,” he breathed, leaning down again.

“Good,” she giggled, sliding her hands up from his chest to wrap around his neck.

Chris felt giddy and embarrassed and relaxed all at once, his own hands slipping to her waist. The kisses were no longer light and chaste, the weight of their confessions tugging them closer to each other. Ashley began to shuffle backwards, Chris following her slowly. Their steady stream of kisses went uninterrupted until the back of Ashley’s thighs hit the couch. She broke away with a tiny gasp, and then pressed her cheek into Chris’s shoulder, blushing fiercely with a wide smile.

He couldn’t suppress his grin, pressing his own cheek into her hair. Chris kissed the side of her head with the corner of his mouth, uninhibited by his anxiety for once. Ashley pulled back, grinning shyly up at him. He felt a tug in his chest as he looked down at her, sure that he would remember the way she was looking at him now for the rest of his life.

“So…” she unwrapped herself from him, but slipped both of her hands into his, “...you’ve liked me for a long time, huh?”

Chris felt the warmth return to his cheeks, but he forced his voice to remain steady, “Remember when we were each other’s prom dates? For senior year?”

“Yeah,” she grins, “I thought you were gonna kiss me when we went out on the deck.”

“I wish that I did,” he said softly, letting his words hang between them in a comfortable silence. He leaned down again,intent on making up for all the missed opportunities.

Before their lips met a loud crack came from behind them, towards the spare bedroom in the back. Ashley jumped with a gasp, and Chris tightened his grip on her, unconsciously turning them into the couch away from the noise. “What the hell was that?”

“I don’t know,” he frowned, stepping away from her a little and squinting at the wall in between the living room and the bedroom. “Just Josh fucking with us probably?”

“Maybe,” Ashley stepped around Chris, facing the empty room. “Should we check it out?”

Chris took a deep breath and reached for her hand, “I guess.”

She grinned up at him, punching his arm lightly with her free hand, “I got your back, bro.”

He laughed, “Back at ya, bro.”

Chaos erupted. The window from behind them shattered, a quick flit of something ashy darting in and tugging Ashley towards it. It flung itself backwards, taking her with it. She was screaming, her eyes wide with terror. “Chris!” she shrieked.

He stumbled towards her, caught off guard by the confusion and connected by their grip on each other’s hands. He caught himself on the windowsill and braced his body, trying to pull Ashley back. “Ash! Ashley!”

“C-chris, god, don’t let go!” She was sobbing, her fingernails sinking into his hand. Whatever had grabbed her had an iron grip around her middle, and she cried out when it gave a sharp tug.

“I won’t let you go, Ash!” Chris cried, but the thing gave another pull and he heard something in her arm crack. Her hand flew open from the pain and it was just enough that she was pulled entirely through the window. “Ashley!”

Chris was breathing heavily, flinching when he heard her screaming his name. Panic and fear spurred him into action, and he looked wildly around the room, focusing on an abandoned hunting rifle. Praying that time was on his side, he leaped into the night, chasing the sound of Ashley’s screams.

**Author's Note:**

> i was going to end this with chris finding ashley in the mines and bringing her back to the lodge and they would call for help and everything would be just dandy but this is until dawn. choose ur own ending


End file.
